Mauritania and Spain agreed on Wednesday to cooperate in managing migrant flows during Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s visit to the West African country. The Spanish government is facing an upsurge in the influx of migrants.
In a joint declaration, the two countries voiced “their commitment to work together to promote safe, orderly and regular migration” and ensure “the fair and humane treatment of migrants.”
Almost every day, the Spanish coastguard receives a vessel carrying numerous African migrants heading towards the Canary Islands off the northwestern coast of Africa.
The Atlantic journey is dangerous due to the powerful currents, resulting in thousands of fatalities and disappearances each year on overcrowded, often unseaworthy boats.
On Tuesday, Sanchez arrived in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, beginning a three-day journey that also includes visits to The Gambia and Senegal—three critical countries in the migration crisis.
According to a document obtained by AFP, in addition to the joint declaration, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to implement “a pilot project for the selection of Mauritanian workers in their country of origin” to work in Spain.
The joint declaration includes “circular migration programmes… with a particular focus on young people and women.”
Sanchez, who recently travelled to The Gambia and then Senegal on Wednesday, also discussed with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
The Mauritanian presidency announced that on September 2, members of parliament would convene to review proposals to strengthen laws regarding illegal immigration. These proposals involve establishing a specialised court to combat human trafficking and implementing new legal measures.
The Spanish government estimates that approximately 200,000 individuals in Mauritania are waiting to travel to the Canary Islands.
The Spanish Interior Ministry reports that from January 1 to August 15 of this year, 22,304 migrants arrived at the Islands, an increase of 126% from the 9,864 arrivals during the same period in 2023.
Overall, there were 31,155 arrivals in Spain up to mid-August, reflecting a 66.2% increase from the 18,745 arrivals in the preceding year.